The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-09-17

Some Of the smouts thus collected for the
girls have been a small ~ 80 cents each
and a. large a. $500 each. As an exam
pie Of how persistent this organization is
IN its work, mention may be msde Of .
case in which an employer ct q cost OF 80
to himself was made to pay so cents that
he owed to girl who had worked for
him. The girl had complained to the
union that the money was rightfuliy due
her, and that she was greatly in need of
it. The usual notice was sent to the en-
ployer. He paid no attention to it. He
was then called upon by the unions law
yer, who requested payment. Upon this
being refused suit Was begun and the
case decided in the girls favor.
COLLECTED THE MONEY.
Girls as young As ten years of age are
frequently among those who make com
plants and are aided in this way. An
other interesting case on the records of
the union is that Of prepossessipg and
refined Italian girl about 90 years Of age.
She had frank, deIicately formed face
which showed traces Of hard work and
sorrow. Besides her native tongue she
could speak English we'll and both French
and German fuently. Her story she thus
told to the union:
my father is an Italian an artist liv-
ing in England. My brother long since
came to this country and induced me to
follow him. In answer to an advertise
ment Engaged with fashionable Fifth
avenue dressmaker as tinisher at $40 a
week. She paid me little at time,
but never all that she owed me. This
week there was $3S 80 due me. l wanted
it TO pay my board and my passage back
10 England, for l had long wished to go
to my father again. But she said she
would not pay me all, claiming | had
spoiled some Of the work. That WAS not
true and she had meyer said 50 before. l
haven't any money left and no place to
90 to unless | can pay my board. Can
you get the money for meT
Here is copy of the notice this fash
iOnable dressmaker received the next day
from the union:
MApAx:-A complaint against you has been
made nj this Office by Maria Agatha T, who
states that you owe her &3s 49, which you refuse
to pay. II there IL any just cause why she should
not receive this money. please make 1t known
to us within three days, otherwise we shall assume
that you admit the debt aud sha place the claim
- ''D'' ~ '' supi. W. w.P.U.
The messeger returned bearing the full
amount, and the Italian working girl left
the office of the union very happy. Some
other instances of frauds which have
been attempted on the worxingwomen
and have been defeated by the union are !:
A photographer endcavoring to s~indle a
young woman out Of 800 due her Tor
designing and coloring; Withholding five
days wages for sewing for woman on
account of tile loss OF % cent basket;
engaging girls on the condition that the
first week should be ION trial." aud dis
charging them at the end of the week
without pay; refusing dying woman
money due her when her little son called
for it, the employer saying she must
come for the money herself.
Cases where men have tried to swindle
girls in their employ by paying them
bogus checks, strange as it may seem, are
not SD rare on the records Of the union.
One was particularly interesting. Kate
worked for certain dealer IN shirts,
her employment being for piece work.
When she had earned $l2 she asked for
her pay. A check WAS given her which
aroused her suspicious, and finding It
bogus she refused to give up the shirts.
Her employers, failing either to cajolc or
brighten her, began suit for the possession
of the goods. Kate applied to the union
for protection, and was advised that the
law Of 1875, intended for such cases, jus
titled her in holding the property SO long
as her work upon it had not been paid
for. The suit against her was defended
by the union and judgment was rendered
in her behalf. The employer still refused
to pay and an execution was issued against
him and his partner. Finding themselves
beaten on all sides, the two employers,
father and son, paid over the $l2, besides
the cost of court.
FEW DAYS IN THE COUNTRY.
"HOw is the poor working girl able to
take vacation2" was the na,ual inquiry
made while the subject was being looked
into. The writer was referred to an or
ganization called the working Girls
Vacation Society" The objects of this
society are to assist worthy working girls
of small means to get out Of the city dur
ing their vacation, and to provide them
homes and places of resort in the country
where they may rest and recuperare. For
three years the society has been following
out this plan of work, and how much the
working girls are benefting by il is
shown by the fact that during this time
over 1000 of them have been sent by it
upon enjoyable vacations to the country
Each girl is only required to pay the
nominal sum of 81 rs week, except in
cases where the person recommending
her shows that she is not able to do SO.
An example Of how the girls prize this
privilege was shown in a case Of young
German girl, the eldest of family of five
who was very anxious to go
away. She could not spare the money
from her wages, however, her mother
could not afford to pay the amount and
her father was earning nothing. being
sick in the hospital. The plucky girl
then began to work evenings and on her
Saturday afternoon holidays. until she
had saved the necessary Sc SO, thus OBJ
tanning the coveted two weeks vacation.
Thus tar the society has obtained board.
ing at dozen different places. Where
ii is possible. the girls are given choice
OF place. Two weeks is the usual limi.
to the vacation. but in few cases of sick
girls longer time is given. The society
is unsecta"ian. A little piece of card
board is the working girls passport from
the society. 1t reads: